Senior Center celebrates 15 years at Reede Gray

Thursday

Sep 6, 2012 at 9:11 AMSep 6, 2012 at 9:15 AM

The Redwood Senior Center will celebrate 15 years at its home as part of Reede Gray Elementary School with an open house on Sunday, Sept. 9, from 1-3 p.m. Everyone, of every age, is invited.“Young people can bring their parents and check it out,” said Ernie Fredericksen.

By Joshua DixonStaff Writer

The Redwood Senior Center will celebrate 15 years at its home as part of Reede Gray Elementary School with an open house on Sunday, Sept. 9, from 1-3 p.m. Everyone, of every age, is invited.“Young people can bring their parents and check it out,” said Ernie Fredericksen.The open house will feature homemade cookies — still warm from the oven — and door prizes.Until 1997, the senior center was downtown, where Youth For Christ is now.Rollie Kuglin, a member of the senior center since 1985, said last week, “There was no parking downtown, and we kept getting in trouble with the telephone company. They couldn’t get their trucks out.”Philanthropists Martin and Winnifred Ehlers stepped in, and donated the funds to build a new intergenerational center as an annex to Reede Gray Elementary School.The school owns and pays for the building and its costs, and the seniors get to use the facility for free.The intergenerational center was always intended as exactly that — a place where generations could meet.Once a month, Reede Gray Elementary School’s second graders visit the senior center.“They really connect. Many of them don’t have grandparents in the area, and have adopted a senior,” said Kuglin.The senior center is also just a nice place to hang out. There’s coffee in the mornings, a card room, and a computer available for anyone to use.

It’s not necessary to be in your 80s or 90s to hang out at the senior center. The minimum age for membership in the senior center is 55. Currently, the senior center has 104 members.The senior center also hosts Redwood’s senior dining lunch program, provided by Lutheran Social Services.Among the senior center’s activities are cards three afternoons a week, bingo and cribbage once a week, and a bi-weekly potluck dinner.The third Tuesday of each month is reserved for the monthly birthday party.For seniors who would prefer, the Western Community Action bus brings people who don’t drive.The senior center part of the building is available for rent, and has recently been used for weddings, family reunions, and graduation parties.